The first image (pictured above) is out of Gael García Bernal as the flamboyant wrestler, Cassandro. The 52-year-old luchador’s real name is Saúl Armendáriz. He made a name for himself as the so-called “Liberace of Lucha Libre.”
Cassandro’s life story is coming to screens courtesy of Oscar-winning documentary maker Roger Ross Williams. The simply titled Cassandro is a scripted movie starring the Mexican-born García Bernal.
The American-born Armendáriz grew up near the U.S.-Mexican border in El Paso, Texas. He later moved to Mexico to pursue his dreams of becoming a ‘luchador’.
Related: Meet Cassandro, Mexico’s Lucha Libre drag queen superstar
Armendáriz was initially fearful that being openly gay would kill his career hopes. However, similar to WWF in the US, Mexican luchador are known for their larger-than-life personalities.
Armendáriz decided to turn his sexuality into his unique selling point in the ultra-macho world of Mexican wrestling. His personality also helps to win over audiences.
He went on to become an NWA World Welterweight and UWA World Lightweight Champion. Cassandro still wrestles occasionally today on the independent circuits.
The movie’s synopsis reads, “Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, rises to international stardom after he creates the ‘exotico’ character Cassandro, the ‘Liberace of Lucha Libre.’ In the process, he upends not just the macho wrestling world, but also his own life.”
García Bernal is known for his performances in The Motorcycle Diaries and M. Night Shyamalan’s recent flick, Old. On TV, he’s appeared in Werewolf By Night, Mozart in the Jungle, and Station Eleven.
Cassandro will stream on Prime Video in 2023.
In the meantime, check out the trailer for the 2018 documentary Cassandro the Exotico! below…
thebaddestbabby
but to gays, surely Gael Garcia Bernal is MUCH better known from his performance in Y Tu Mama Tambien?
Nachum
That film made an indelible impression on me! Bernal exuded sensuality.
ptb2016
No in his Almodovar film Bad Education where he played a lot of it in drag looking incredibly beautiful. I met him in London a few years ago when he played in a Lorca play. Really charming, and so beautiful up close. Speaks fluent English too and lives in London most of the time now.
thebaddestbabby
oh yeah, wow, I can’t believe I forgot about that one! He’s gorgeous in it
G R
Bernal lives in Guadalajara, Mexico and Buenos Aires; London was just for the play.
ingyaom
He’ll always be the young Dr. Guevara to me.
Kangol2
I am so looking forward to this film when it debuts and the Cassandro documentary is worth catching too if you can.
mateo
I’ve a small bone to pick with whomever wrote this: By writing “Mexican-born” are you implying that Gael is something OTHER than Mexican; that he’s adopted another nationality? Because he’s not and he hasn’t: he’s simply a Mexican. Another point: with so much permeation of Latin culture in the U.S., I’d think that by now people who aren’t Latinos would realize that those who are from Latin cultures use both their fathers’ and mothers’ last names. Thus, Gael’s last nameS are “García” and “Bernal”. To just put “Bernal” is not really kosher.
thebaddestbabby
Gael Garcix-Bernal
Kangol2
Queerty struggles with stuff like Spanish last names, etc. It’s kind of bizarre in 2022, but perhaps hiring someone who 1) speaks and read Spanish, and 2) is at least basically familiar with the range of Latinx cultures inside and outside the US would be a good idea. So maybe they’ll take up this suggestion in the new year!